Information for parents

Young Farmers Clubs provide an opportunity for young people to develop, to learn and to enjoy themselves by offering a diverse, fun and educational programme of activities planned by members, for members.

Each Club is supported by a County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, and affiliated to the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC).

Club officers and leaders

Club meetings are usually weekly and are organised and run by YFC members. The club elects club officers annually to take responsibility for the club on behalf of its members and organise the activities that members take part in. Weekly meetings can range from talks and trips to preparing for competitions or fundraising for charity.

In clubs with largely
younger members, there is a dedicated team of adult volunteers who are elected
to help support the Young Farmers’ Club member to run the club.All adult volunteers within YFC
are screened for suitability using safe recruitment procedures set out in the
Safeguarding Policy.

Additional needs

YFC in an inclusive
open youth organisation and encourages all young people to join.
If your child requires any additional help with participating in any activity, or has any
particular needs please speak to one of the club officers. The club officers will work with
you to develop a support plan for your child to allow them to take part in YFC
activities.

FAQs

What is the programme of activities in Young Farmers’ Clubs (YFC)?

YFC members decide among themselves the content of each individual club programme. This helps ensure that there is something for everyone and every YFC member gets to try new things and learn new skills. Some activities are part of the regular club meetings, sometimes there are trips, and year round there are a huge range of competitions to get involved with.

How much does it cost my child to send my child to YFC?

Membership costs vary as YFCs set their own subscription charges.

What policies exist in YFC to keep my child safe?

YFC is a voluntary youth organisation and has a duty of care to its members. In order to keep club members safe during YFC activities, each club works to the following policies:

The Health, Safety and Environmental Policy ensures the health and safety of its employees and members. It explains how to carry out risk assessments for YFC events and activities as well as the procedures and protocols in place to ensure activities are safe.

The Equal Opportunities Policy ensures that no employee, job applicant, YFC member, volunteer or contractor receives less favourable treatment through unreasonable or unjust discrimination on any grounds, including all
protected characteristics.

The Safeguarding Children and Young People, sets out how the organisation works with children and adults
at risk, how volunteers are recruited, what to do in the case of an incident, along with reporting procedures and information on how to recognise signs of abuse. It’s a robust policy that’s been written with the specialist help of the NSPCC.

The Drugs and Alcohol Policy enables members, staff and volunteers to recognise acceptable and unacceptable behaviour within YFC. It helps event organisers to plan safe and successful events . If a member’s behaviour is deemed unacceptable, the policy contains information on the appropriate action to take.

As YFC works with young people aged from 10 to 26, it has a policy on Sexual Health. YFC needs to be clear on how to deliver sexual health information to members of varying ages. The policy, written with the support of The Family Planning Association, helps YFCs to understand how to do this.

The Anti-bullying Policy as well as guidance on cyber-bullying. The policy has been written to help YFC members to recognise the signs of bullying and help those who are being bullied. The policy contains information on how to deal with bullying behaviour and the necessary action that should be taken.

The E-Safety policy has
been created to support members in their online activities; it spells out
how our leaders should interact with our members online and how all
members and volunteers can use the internet safely to benefit YFC
communications and promotion.

NFYFC’s Standards of Behaviour Policy clearly sets out what is acceptable
behaviour and the process of dealing with YFC members whose behaviour
is unacceptable.

Will my child be insured when participating in YFC activities?

Yes. All members are covered by YFC insurance when attending club meetings, trips and competitions. All clubs also have public liability insurance in place.

How does my child join YFC?

Joining a YFC is easy, simply click on this link and complete the joining enquiry form. This will be sent to your nearest county federation who will help find the right club for your child and invite them to a meeting.